That didn't take long....Paypal sues Google over Google Wallet

[Meghan54]

PayPal : Google stole our employees and secrets

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/27/technology/paypal-sues-google/index.htm?hpt=T2

 

[Saint Nick]

Oh please. PayPal needs to suck it up and realize this could mean the beginning of the end for them. They're just trying to secure their market share. They're afraid because Google usually does things faster and better than the rest (oh, and did I mention "free"?).

 

[CZroe]

They're afraid because AOL has already seen broadband kill dial-up, Craigslist and Amazon seriously neuter eBay, and Microsft steal away Skype.

 

[BoomerD]

I love it...anything that slaps those greedy fucks at Ebay is a good thing.

IF everything Paypal alleges turns out to be true, this might be costly for Google however.

 

[Jeff7]

Oh please. PayPal needs to suck it up and realize this could mean the beginning of the end for them. They're just trying to secure their market share. They're afraid because Google usually does things faster and better than the rest (oh, and did I mention "free"?).

Fed by immense ad revenue.

Yay for more ads. D:

 

[Arkaign]

Fed by immense ad revenue.

Yay for more ads. D:

I'll happily take advertisements over Paypal's disgusting monopoly and exhorbitant fees, combined with "bend over" non-existent customer service.

 

[Tweak155]

Sounds like their own fault. Says right in the article Google tried to negotiate with them, so when Google didn't like what they were getting (shocker from PayPal!), they found another route.

Although it may cost them (Google), but if it doesn't, tick tock for PayPal's high fees (and possibly existence).

 

[MotF Bane]

Down with PayPal!

 

[Slew Foot]

Feebay/paypal has quite possibly the worst service in the corporate world. Fuck them.

 

[Genx87]

Trade secrets are not protected under law like a patent or copyright. This allows a company to retain the process longer than a patent or copyright. In return for this expanded holding right they can lose the trade secret via reverse engineering or employee poaching.

 

[lxskllr]

I'll happily take advertisements over Paypal's disgusting monopoly and exhorbitant fees, combined with "bend over" non-existent customer service.

^^^

 

[ViRGE]

Fed by immense ad revenue.

Yay for more ads. D:

Don't forget the tracking! Google will know what you browse (Chrome & Android), the apps you use (Android), who you converse with (Talk, Android, Gmail), and now what you buy and sell. What could possibly go wrong?

PayPal may be absolutely awful, but at least their business model isn't based around creating a precise profile of you and selling it to 3rd parties.

 

[gaidensensei]

^Yeah, it's true. At least we know with some decent confidence that Paypal isn't data mining our activity to some extent. You can never be too sure with what el 'goog wants to do.

I always keep a subconscious mind not to say what I don't want to come back to haunt me on google related products.

 

[Powermoloch]

paypal can eat poo and die :thumbsup:

 

[Raduque]

Don't forget the tracking! Google will know what you browse (Chrome & Android), the apps you use (Android), who you converse with (Talk, Android, Gmail), and now what you buy and sell. What could possibly go wrong?

PayPal may be absolutely awful, but at least their business model isn't based around creating a precise profile of you and selling it to 3rd parties.

I for one welcome our Googly overlords.

But don't worry ViRGE, you're still OK in my book for linking to TVTropes. <3

 

[ShawnD1]

I'll happily take advertisements over Paypal's disgusting monopoly and exhorbitant fees, combined with "bend over" non-existent customer service.

This. I use Gmail all the time and the ads never bother me. Same with google docs.

Paypal seriously sucks. I hate them.

 

[Texashiker]

Seems that paypal is complaining about its employees seeking gainful employment elsewhere?

The attitudes those companies have that they "own" the employee is laughable.

 

[her209]

Seems that paypal is complaining about its employees seeking gainful employment elsewhere?

The attitudes those companies have that they "own" the employee is laughable.

Depends if the employees signed non-compete and/or non-disclosure agreements.

 

[frostedflakes]

Trade secrets are not protected under law like a patent or copyright. This allows a company to retain the process longer than a patent or copyright. In return for this expanded holding right they can lose the trade secret via reverse engineering or employee poaching.

I believe some states (such as California) do have protections for trade secrets.

I'm not a huge fan of PayPal, but if the employees signed a non-complete agreement as part of their employment with PayPal, seems like they might have a pretty good case against them.

 

[Genx87]

I believe some states (such as California) do have protections for trade secrets.

I'm not a huge fan of PayPal, but if the employees signed a non-complete agreement as part of their employment with PayPal, seems like they might have a pretty good case against them.

I'd say they have a great case against the employee's if they signed a contract stipulating an NDA or non-compete clause. Google, not so much. But who knows...

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, would seem like an open and shut case against the employees if they had signed a non-compete, but I don't know how they could drag Google into this. But the usual disclaimer applies, IANAL.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

I'll happily take advertisements AdBlock over Paypal's disgusting monopoly and exhorbitant fees, combined with "bend over" non-existent customer service.

FTFY. 100% agreed.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

signed a non-complete agreement

Awesome - how do I get a job where I can sign one of those?

 

[ShawnD1]

Depends if the employees signed non-compete and/or non-disclosure agreements.

This. You can't give confidential information to random companies. If I work for Coke and I get hired by Pepsi, am I allowed to tell Pepsi the exact 100&#37; recipe for making coca cola classic? The company doesn't own you as a person, but they do own certain information.

Anyway, it seems like Paypal is butthurt that employees are taking their skills elsewhere. It might be illegal to make a perfect carbon copy of paypal and call it google wallet, but they're still allowed to make a new system based on what they know from the old system.

I don't know how trade secrets could possibly apply to this. We're not talking about making pepsi. Paypal is just a simple banking service. What kind of secrets could they have?

 

[frostedflakes]

Awesome - how do I get a job where I can sign one of those?

Government jobs might be a good place to start looking.